Well the OP did not state the law was against underage housemaids. If that's the case it's a good idea. The implementation is gonna be an ass though. What happens to the small girl that comes from your village helps out at home and in turn gets sent to an average "city" school. Still better than being stuck in the village. Only problem is if the employer abuses the child. It's not an ideal situation but then again neither is Nigeria!

oluwabamis:

Nigerian lawmakers are one of the dumbest in the world. Making senseless laws that  does not move us forward in this age when nations are thinking of great things, we are still here jailing pple with househelps. I know many househelps who were trained up to the university level by their 'masters' such househelps would forever be grateful to their bosses. I know tere are several abuses of these people, but to just generalise things is not the solution, these lawmakers or policy makers or whoever is making these laws shhould be able to defferentiate btw exploitation and genuine love for these group of people. if this law is put into action there will be increase in prostitution, for the girls and increase in robberies for the guys. The best way around this issue is for employers of these househelps to kind of register with the govt agencies or better still have an agreement with their parents, so it looks formal annd it should only be for certain age limit. funny enough most of this naptip guys too have helps at home, they shd first jail themselves b4 jailing the rest of us. more comments later

you must be one of those people that take advantage of those children and abuse them as well cuz your arguements are very lame and lack feeling for human dignity.you appreciate using another man's child as your robot,abuse and make them do what you can't let your child do simply because you are sending them to school.child labour must stop in nigeria,so this law must be passed as soon as possible to checkmate offenders.

Tasma:

What happens to the small girl that comes from your village helps out at home and in turn gets sent to an average "city" school. Still better than being stuck in the village.

Then she should be your 'ward', not your 'housegirl'.

The funny thing is that a lot of the people who beat, abuse and oppress these 'village girls' are self-professed 'Christians'.

Child labor should be abolished in all countries seeking to be counted among the world's civilized societies, BUT, once any individual attains the ADULT age of 18 years old, they should be free to seek employment wherever they please within the delineated boundaries of criminal law, be that as a gardener, housegirl or nuclear scientist.

Provided that ALL public and private employees are hired and paid in accordance with relevant labor laws applicable to any given jurisdiction, particularly those statutes that proscribe physical abuse, and those that specify equitable salary rates commensurate with experience and education, the state has NO business regulating the career choices of LAW ABIDING ADULTS.

If, true, this bizarre declaration that the employment of house help is BANNED in Nigeria could only have emanated from the twisted imagination of an idle and confused individual who deserves to be put to pasture promptly.

texazzpete:

Then she should be your 'ward', not your 'housegirl'.

The funny thing is that a lot of the people who beat, abuse and oppress these 'village girls' are self-professed 'Christians'.

Have no problem at all with terminology "ward" or "househelp". The real problem is how the person is being treated by his/her custodians. Many "wards" are still being abused in the homes they stay in. It's a pity that we don't have a system where an abused kid can make a report to a law enforcement officer. Knowing Nigeria such a complaint will probably not be taken seriously.

makajibbz:

what do you mean?
child abuse should still go on in Nigeria because their are no daycares for rich kids

Where did you get that from?

I'm not against prohibiting underage housemaids, but prohibiting housemaids [grown women] who are trying to feed themselves witht he lil job they can can, I'm against.


@OAM4J

Ok, got you

Many housemaids are better-off than workers on govt's minimum wage. Our 'honourables' may be blind to this fact, but it is reality.

Jakumo:

Child labor should be abolished in all countries seeking to be counted among the world's civilized societies, BUT, once any individual attains the ADULT age of 18 years old, they should be free to seek employment wherever they please within the delineated boundaries of criminal law, be that as a gardener, housegirl or nuclear scientist.

Provided that ALL public and private employees are hired and paid in accordance with relevant labor laws applicable to any given jurisdiction, particularly those statutes that proscribe physical abuse, and those that specify equitable salary rates commensurate with experience and education, the state has NO business regulating the career choices of LAW ABIDING ADULTS.

If, true, this bizarre declaration that the employment of house help is BANNED in Nigeria could only have emanated from the twisted imagination of an idle and confused individual who deserves to be put to pasture promptly.

No law can be against employment of an adult for any legitimate work.

The new law is only to protect the underage. Many of these housemaids in Lagos are kids, mostly abused and exploited. It is about time child labour in any guise STOP.

Tasma:

Have no problem at all with terminology "ward" or "househelp". The real problem is how the person is being treated by his/her custodians. Many "wards" are still being abused in the homes they stay in. It's a pity that we don't have a system where an abused kid can make a report to a law enforcement officer. Knowing Nigeria such a complaint will probably not be taken seriously.

This is the essence of the new law. Now the abused kids complains will be taken seriously, because they are not supposed to be employed in the 1st place.

The added good news is that the government is also setting up institutions that would cater for these abused kids.

The only concern I have is how effective they would be, judging from how badly implemented other laws have been

Ileke-IdI:

Where did you get that from?

I'm not against prohibiting underage housemaids, but prohibiting housemaids [grown women] who are trying to feed themselves witht he lil job they can can, I'm against.


@OAM4J

Ok, got you

ileke, do you understand wat i wrote?

Jakumo:

Child labor should be abolished in all countries seeking to be counted among the world's civilized societies, BUT, once any individual attains the ADULT age of 18 years old, they should be free to seek employment wherever they please within the delineated boundaries of criminal law, be that as a gardener, housegirl or nuclear scientist.

Provided that ALL public and private employees are hired and paid in accordance with relevant labor laws applicable to any given jurisdiction, particularly those statutes that proscribe physical abuse, and those that specify equitable salary rates commensurate with experience and education, the state has NO business regulating the career choices of LAW ABIDING ADULTS.

If, true, this bizarre declaration that the employment of house help is BANNED in Nigeria could only have emanated from the twisted imagination of an idle and confused individual who deserves to be put to pasture promptly.

It is not true . Nigeria is full of intelligent , urbane and exposed folks even if cyberspace promotes views to the contrary. I doubt that any Nigerian , including even the most inept leaders, will want househelps banned if everyone involved (employer and employee) are adults. Agencies for registered adult househelps are thriving currently in Nigeria in testimony to how legitimate adults are in demand as househelps. NAPTIP , even as the original article fails to identify this , is focusing on the exploitation/trafficking of children.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79118

“The business of recruiting teenage girls as domestic help in rich and middle-class homes is booming despite our efforts to put a stop to it”, Bello Ahmed, head of the Kano office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), told IRIN.

Girls aged 12-17 are regularly trafficked from villages and brought to the city to work as maids for an average monthly wage of 1,500 naira (US$13) which they usually send back to their parents who are caring for several of their siblings, according to Ahmed.

“Apart from being denied access to education, these girls are in many cases raped and beaten by their employers and this is why we keep a dormitory to rehabilitate them”, Ahmed said.

“Bringing in girls from the villages to the city to work as house helps continues unabated. In fact it is on the rise”, agreed Mairo Bello, head of Adolescent Health Information Project, a Kano-based non-governmental organisation (NGO).

OAM4J:

No law can be against employment of an adult for any legitimate work.

The new law is only to protect the underage. Many of these housemaids in Lagos are kids, mostly abused and exploited. It is about time child labour in any guise STOP.

This is the essence of the new law. Now the abused kids complains will be taken seriously, because they are not supposed to be employed in the 1st place.

The added good news is that the government is also setting up institutions that would cater for these abused kids.

The only concern I have is how effective they would be, judging from how badly implemented other laws have been

Spot on. Thinking that , somehow , laws exist to prevent Nigerians from gaining legitimate employment means that we are keen to think the worst , without any investigation , in the haste to pronounce Nigeria as a place where sensible convention is always rejected . No nation loves its househelp culture more than Nigeria . since we are now moving in the right direction , even if too slowly for some, it is time all forms of underage employment is ended . This is NAPTIP's real target.

makajibbz:

ileke, do you understand wat i wrote?

Yea.

You're already assuming that only rich kids have housemaids. . . WRONG!

Ileke-IdI:

Yea.

You're already assuming that only rich kids have housemaids. . . WRONG!

only a family which have a big house employ a househelp that will live with them,feed with them and all, if you live in 1 bedroom flat or face to face can you afford a house help?

it all depends on the age,i think its ok to allow adults to do whichever work they want to do.some of dem feed from hand to mouth n dis is d possible way for dem to feed n takecare of their needs,not everybody is opportuned to be educated,n some do it wen dey realise how important it is,d tin is we al start from somwia.d issue of husbands cheating with dia housemaids is a choice,a man wil cheat if he wants to wit whoever.i tink it wil b good if agencies r been set up to promote dis,dia should be requirments also for dis n dey should just take it to another level,anoda way for job creation actually,dia might be graduates who r ready to do it,it al depends on d pay,al dis people should tink outsyd d box for once naaaaaa........,